Elephants in the sights
Pachyderms roaming Bangkok streets will be sent to a military area, fitted with microchips and relocated
By The Nation
Published on April 27, 2009
Up to 200 elephants will soon get implanted with microchips and deported from Bangkok.
A large number of the animals have roamed the city streets, with their mahouts begging passersby to buy food from them to feed the creatures.
Bangkok Deputy Governor Thirachon Manomaipiboon says the city administration has to get tough with the roaming pachyderms and their panhandling mahouts. “Such practice is a form of animal abuse,” he points out. He adds that the presence of elephants on busy streets also poses a threat to public safety and definitely causes a public nuisance.
According to a survey, there are now about 200 elephants with mahouts begging for food in the city.
Meeting on Thursday
“I am going to meet with 19 relevant agencies on Thursday for a discussion,” Thirachon said. He said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) planned to send all street elephants to a military area on Chaengwattana Road, where they would be implanted with the microchips. “The microchips will let us know whether an elephant, which used to roam the city, has returned following its deportation,” Thirachon added.
He said the mahouts could take their elephants to tourist attractions or zoos, where they would be put to work.
The government has already approved a budget to allocate Bt10,000 a month for each elephant’s upkeep and pay each mahout Bt8,000 a month and if they agree to stay at state zoos. Private operators are also willing to take in more elephants and mahouts. Among them are Nong Nooch Garden in Chon Buri, Rose Garden in Nakhon Pathom and Safari World in Bangkok. “Their mahouts will be paid,” Thirachon promised.
He added that if any mahout wished to return their elephants to the wilderness, the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation would step in to help. BMA City Law Enforcement deputy director Manit Dejapichot says that each mahout usually earns more than Bt1,500 a day in Bangkok.
“When we arrest them, we can impose only a Bt500 fine under the publiccleaning act,” Manit says, “so, they continue to roam Bangkok’s streets.” Thirachon says if the mahouts continue to break the law, the BMA would explore more legal options and enforce all applicable laws against them. “We will also launch a campaign urging people not to give food to street elephants,” he adds
